I am very happy this week. I’m heading to Chicago tomorrow night for what should be one of the best club-DJ shows in Chicago this year: Paul Van Dyk, one of the guys who really got the trance scene going in the U.S., is on his world tour celebrating 10 years of Vandit records. He brings with him successful crossover DJ and artist Paul Oakenfold, who has recently released some DJ sample CDs and a Perfecto Las Vegas compilation (which sounds great). Check out the flyer for the show.
I’ve been listening to Paul’s past and current tunes, compilations, and remixes on DJTunes.com to job my memory and hear some of the new stuff so that I’m fully ready to bounce at the concert. I had forgotten about some of these old PvD tunes that I loved! Emma and her friends will be joining me at the show (yay!), and I may even (if I can find them) meet up with the Chicago TranceFormation Meetup group led by Sound Bar and ETN.fm DJ Zita Zie! I look forward to meeting a fellow trance music lover who is also a successful female DJ. I have prior plans and will be cabbing over with friends, so I don’t know yet if I’ll be able to meet the group at 10:00 PM at a bar down the street–but it would be nice to meet some fellow trancers (trancies? trance fanatics?).
I’m really looking forward to this show, after a pretty long hiatus from going out dancing or taking a trip up to Chicago. It should be kick ass. Photos, video, and comments will be posted after I get back.
Categories: Chicago, Music, Bands, & Tunes, Popular Arts Tags: breaks, dance music, electronica, paul oakenfold, paul van dyk, progressive, trance
I’ve been really busy for a couple weeks, then I got sick for a couple days this week, and then I’ve just been catching up and getting stuff done…so I apologize for the delinquency of this post.
Thanks to Emma, her boyfriend, online games that allow you to apply points to concert-ticket raffles, and KISS FM, I enjoyed one of five free tickets to see Armin van Buuren last Friday night, October 9th, at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago. In a word, it was pure joy. I know, that might sound silly for a DJ concert, but it’s the truth. Remember, I was DJ Unia. I had the turntables all the big-time DJs had, at the time, and the headphones (but a cheaper mixer, because that stuff was expensive enough). So I would say that this concert was pretty amazing. I’m pissed because right now, I’m missing ATB at Vision (arrrrrgh!)…but I couldn’t afford to go up there again this weekend, so I’ll just have to miss this one. At least I know I can check out Vision, SoundBar, and the Aragon for future trance shows.
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I had a great three days in (or commuting to or from) Chicago, and it was much needed. I had been thinking about making a visit to the city itself for a while, but Emma drew me in last week with an invitation to a cocktail party (for the Young Democrats of America) and discounted Sean Paul concert at a bar called The Shrine, which opened a few months ago. She told me on Tuesday, and I decided to come on Thursday to beat some of the crowds and return Saturday night. I immediately had a lot of planning to do. It was a short trip, and I didn’t do or see everything I wanted to or spend too much time with Em, but that leaves more for next time.
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Go Obama!!!!
What more can I say? This is a great time to be alive. Unlike Emma, I was not to so lucky as to have been in Grant Park (Chicago) for the rally last night. Damn…I should’ve driven up there. But I did get to witness (via television and Internet) the electing of someone I consider to be a good guy with some good ideas and our first black/Interracial/foreign-born president of the United States. And he’s from Illinois, to boot. Let’s hope the Secret Service can keep him safe from the wackos and racists.
I kinda liked this (supposedly taken in NYC). Check out an article in the Chicago Tribune here.
So, everything has changed. I’m now here at my folks’ house in Illinois and will reside here for an undetermined amount of time. I came here alone, and I don’t pay rent (right now). I have lots of time to think, study, and work. But it sure is different. The good news is, I still have a few Illinois friends left (besides my family being in town). Emma and I went out in Chambana last weekend and had fun! Go Emma! And after she moves up to Chicago, I can go to there and see her and Dan in the same weekend. And CHICAGO, Baby! Read more…
